Bloomfield Hills student wins national award for children story about oral health

Bloomfield Hills High School student Merrick Weingarten, 16, was awarded the America's Tooth Fairy Stamp of Approval for accuracy by the National Children's Oral Health Foundation for the children's book he wrote. Photo submitted by Merrick Weingarten

The 16-year-old Bloomfield Hills High School student is the author of a published children’s book, titled “Scout Brushes Up.”

A story about the importance of oral hygiene, it has been awarded the America’s Tooth Fairy Stamp of Approval for accuracy by the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation. The foundation also bestowed Weingarten with the My Smile Matters Award, which celebrates teenagers who promote oral health among children.

Weingarten said it all began as a class project in school. He decided to write a children’s story about a dog who learns the importance of toothbrushing from his animal friends.

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“I didn’t want to make it boring,” he said.

He wanted it to teach children the importance of oral hygiene, “but in a more fun way.”

But, as Weingarten stated, “I kind of went a little bit beyond than most people.”

After Weingarten finished his story for the project, he decided that he wanted to try to make it into an actual children’s book. First he looked around for illustrators.

“I had the idea of contacting the University of Michigan art department,” he said.

One of the professors there referred him to Emily Moore, a student specializing in illustration, and she agreed to contribute to Weingarten’s book.

Next, he reached out to oral health organizations in the hopes that they would help support his efforts. He said that he browsed local foundations first, but was ultimately successful when he broadened his search to a national scale. The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation eventually found him and promoted his work.

Weingarten used BookBaby, an online e-book publication site, to publish his book.

“A lot of families are excited about it,” he said.

Not least of all his own family.

“I’m thrilled,” Weingarten’s mother, Cindy, said of her son’s accomplishments.

She said that they hoped it would become the next “Clifford the Big Red Dog” book.

“He’s just learned a lot about business,” she said of the whole process.

Weingarten said that he previously had an interest in oral hygiene before he wrote the story.

“I had braces a few years ago,” he said.

Weingarten was fascinated by all the up-to-date technology he saw on trips to the doctor’s office, and it sparked in him an interest in orthodontistry.

Weingarten is also an editor at his high school newspaper, The Hawkeye.

Five dollars from each purchase of Scout Brushes Up is donated to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation. For more information, visit the book’s website atscoutbrushesup.com.